GSK advances mRNA Influenza vaccine program to late-stage trials

UK—GSK, a British pharmaceutical company, published positive results from a mid-stage trial of its seasonal influenza vaccine, which uses cutting-edge messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.

The company intends to push the vaccine into late-stage clinical trials following these promising results.

The trial results demonstrated that the vaccine candidate generated substantial immune responses against both influenza A and B strains in participants of diverse ages, including younger and older adults, with these responses far surpassing existing standard treatments.

The interim results show that the vaccine fulfilled pre-defined success criteria for both age groups and had an acceptable safety and reactogenicity profile across all mRNA formulations tested.

These encouraging findings build upon the earlier phase II trial (NCT06431607), reinforcing the mRNA platform’s efficacy in generating strong antibody responses while maintaining a favourable safety profile.

GSK’s Chief Scientific Officer, Tony Wood, described the trial’s success as a significant milestone for its mRNA program.

Wood highlighted that the data strongly supports moving forward into late-stage development. He emphasised that GSK’s ultimate objective is to develop a new, best-in-class vaccine that provides enhanced protection throughout the influenza season.

GSK’s HSV Vaccine Candidate Fails Phase II Trial

In addition to the influenza vaccine news, GSK has also completed the primary data analysis from the Phase II segment of the TH HSV REC-003 trial.

This combined Phase I/II proof-of-concept study assessed the potential clinical efficacy of GSK3943104, an early-stage therapeutic vaccine candidate for herpes simplex virus (HSV).

However, the results revealed that GSK3943104 did not satisfy the study’s major efficacy objectives, and as a result, this vaccine candidate will not proceed to Phase III trials.

Given the huge unmet medical need and impact of genital herpes, GSK recognises that additional innovation in this area is critical.

The company plans to thoroughly review the data and other studies to guide its future research and development of the HSV program.

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